Mike's musings

Yet more bishop

(backposting) Not saying this is a bad thing, of course: bishops are good. I just seem to be getting quite a lot of episcopal exposure at the moment. Oh, that sounds dodgy. You know what I mean.

After a lovely day with the girls - joined by one of Jo's godfathers, Simon, with whom we went to Clare Country Park for some small child bicycle time - we had a confirmation service in St Andrew's Halstead. I'd not realised before today that it was normal practice in the early church to baptise, confirm and ordain _only_ on Easter Eve (because, like all major festivals, Easter actually starts the evening before the day itself). So, this is a good time to be confirmed. I deaconed for the service, and apart from a few glitches (the thurible went out, the bishop left his microphone on whilst giving instructions to fix it, I headed down for the gospel reading before the bishop had had a chance to read the collect, I forget to offer him the lavabo - stuff like that), it all went off very well. And, to my great surprise, I found myself genuflecting towards the East end (not the East End - that would be silly) at the end of the service. Hmm.

Labels: sacraments

The end of a good day

I took Jojo to Gosfield church for the team service at which I was preaching today. It's the first time that I've had either of the girls with me when I've been involved with taking a service. She did very well, and Ashley, a girl in the choir was very kind in looking after her. I was so proud, and was close to tears as I walked up to the altar with the host, having just administered the host to a member of the congregation at the back. It's difficult to explain, but it was all part the thinking I've been doing about reverence and the sacraments. It's just such a privilege to administer the elements of the Christ's body. And I've been waiting so long for Jo to be able to join me at a service, and sit next to me as I used to sit next to my father.

I preached about following Christ, and not just Jesus. I really care about this. If we just follow Jesus, we follow a man, and we deny the title that he earned by dying and rising for us. And if we call ourselves just Jesus-followers, and not Christians, then we deny the sacrifices - small and great - that others have made in the name of Christ over the ages, and that we make, and that our children will make. It is absurd to follow a man. It is maybe more absurd to follow a man who was God and man, and died, but it is right.

We went swimming in the afternoon, and Jo swam for 10m in the big pool, all on her own. I think she could have done more, if she'd wanted to, and I was proud all over again.

Labels: jojo, preaching, sacraments

N., I baptise you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit

Those are the key words in the baptism service, a service that I took for the first time in my life. It's the first sacrament that I've ever administered, and I'm very humbled to have had the chance.

You'll notice that the words start with "N.". This is where the person taking the service puts in the first (Christian) names of the person to be baptised: the baptism service has always been partly a naming service.

I should say "this is where the person taking the service is supposed to put in the first (Christian) names of the person to be baptised." I forgot. This isn't so good, and it's something I won't do again in a hurry. Luckily, I remembered while we were still at the font and remedied the situation in time. John, my training incumbent was there, and was fine about it. I 'fessed up to James, the other curate, and I expect to get some stick from him. I was expecting to get a whole lot of stick from my father, too, but it turns out that he did exactly the same thing at his first baptism. :-)

Labels: sacraments